You may take your oath of that. And then, don’t you see, when the ring is broken up, we’ll din it into the public day by day that the Burgomaster is incompetent in every respect, and that all responsible positions in the town, the whole municipal government in short, must be entrusted to men of liberal ideas. BILLING. Strike me dead if that isn’t the square truth! I see it—I see it: we are on the eve of a revolution! [_A knock at the door._ HOVSTAD. Hush! [_Calls._] Come in! DR. STOCKMANN _enters from the back, left._ HOVSTAD. [_Going towards him._] Ah, here is the Doctor. Well? DR. STOCKMANN. Print away, Mr. Hovstad! HOVSTAD. So it has come to that? BILLING. Hurrah! DR. STOCKMANN. Print away, I tell you. To be sure it has come to that. Since they will have it so, they must. War is declared, Mr. Billing! BILLING. War to the knife, say I! War to the death, Doctor! DR. STOCKMANN. This article is only the beginning. I have four or five others sketched out in my head already. But where do you keep Aslaksen? BILLING. [_Calling into the printing-room._] Aslaksen! just come here a moment. HOVSTAD. Four or five more articles, eh? On the same subject? DR. STOCKMANN. Oh no—not at all, my dear fellow. No; they will deal with quite different matters. But they’re all of a piece with the water-works and sewer question. One thing leads to another. It’s just like beginning to pick at an old house, don’t you know? BILLING. Strike me dead, but that’s true! You feel you can’t leave off till you’ve pulled the whole lumber-heap to pieces. ASLAKSEN. [_Enters from the printing-room._] Pulled to pieces! Surely the Doctor isn’t thinking of pulling the Baths to pieces? HOVSTAD. Not at all. Don’t be alarmed. DR. STOCKMANN. No, we were talking of something quite different. Well, what do you think of my article, Mr. Hovstad? HOVSTAD. I think it’s simply a masterpiece—— DR. STOCKMANN. Yes, isn’t it? I'm glad you think so—very glad. HOVSTAD. It’s so clear and to the point. One doesn’t in the least need to be a specialist to understand the gist of it. I am certain every intelligent man will be on your side. ASLAKSEN. And all the prudent ones too, I hope? BILLING. Both the prudent and imprudent—in fact, almost the whole town.